Sunday, February 7, 2016

Swing That Thing

I have walked through some very dark times personally and
emotionally. Millions suffer from depression and there are several
degrees of depression. There is no one set experience. Families have been
impacted by suicide, murder of a loved one, an addictions as a result of
depression not being addressed. Many have gotten comfortable wearing that mask
because this is how they have conditioned themselves to survive. Though I
still suffer from time to time, I am much more aware of the signs and have a
better handle on swinging that thing back over to a position of peace. No
anxiety. No conversations about how bad this or that is. No pealing scabs from
the many scars for them to bleed all over again, taking longer to heal. Can you
relate?

As I get older and lean towards that senior discount, I have
learned many valuable lessons that have helped me grow, heal, and rejoice while
in the storm of depression. And in my growing, I have had the pleasure of
ministering to those who desire to have a conversation and share
dialogue. Remember, our experiences as God’s children are not about us. I
am not so hard on myself or others. I have learned that the best thing to do
when I see others going through something that I have experienced is to let
them go through it, just as I had to. Honestly, I just want to shake the
daylights out of some folks screaming, NOOOOOO! DON’T DO THAT! Run for the
hills and don’t look back. Sound the sirens. Bang the gong. But nope, I have to let people experience things even
though I know it may cause great pain and hardship. Some things will have a
minor impact and some will have a life-long impact. Our duty is to love them
and pray for them. Sometimes it is best to say nothing at all. We also must
know when to speak up especially if we see and know if a person is causing harm
to themselves or others, and this takes discernment.

You may be reading this wondering why I am writing about
depression. The reason is, depression is real, and many who suffer with
depression are ignored because they either don’t understand its impact or they
truly don’t care about the person to begin with. We are in the second month of
2016, I want to encourage you and myself to be more present in the lives of
others. Love is other centered. Love is not selfish. With all of the
horrible events that have taken place around the world, we must be more willing
do just what we are told to do and that is, love our neighbors as we love
ourselves. Sometimes we just need to make the phone call, stop by for a quick
minute, send a beautiful card or even flowers. I love me some yellow
roses. I will even accept some chocolate peanut clusters. Laughing! Do
you suffer with depression? Have you sought help or are you just walking around
smelling like smoke, being burned up by the fires of life? Where is your faith?
Pick it up.

1 Peter 1:7 NLT says this, These trials are only to test
your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests
and purifies gold, and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold.
So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring
you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to
the whole world.

Let me say this. As I mentioned there are many degrees of depression
and with that, you must know whether or not you need professional help. There
is nothing wrong with seeking help. Don’t we go to a doctor for check-ups or
something specific? Mental health is no different. It is only the foolish one
who refuses to seek the help needed to assist them in a crisis they have had no
ability to handle on their own. So, I encourage you to seek medical attention
if you find yourself in a dark place that you have had no ability to climb out
of. The brain is a living organ with natural
chemicals that can become imbalanced. Do not take a serious issue lightly, it
can save your life or the life of another.

My brothers and sisters, swing that thing that has you by
the neck like a vice grip. Swing that thing that has peeled off layers from
your heart. Swing that thing that has not only hurt you and others by your
actions. None of God’s children will ever escape the journey God has laid
out. Though God does not cause pain, He will use the pain for His
purpose. What do I mean by swing that thing? It simply means that
you have to make an active decision to not rest in the pain and darkness of
depression. Though you may need to take some time to rest, I encourage you to
add prayer or increase your prayer life while you are resting.

Remember, we do
not wrestle with flesh and blood, we wrestle with evil spirits that walk and
fly around us. Those spirits sit at our dinner tables, in our cars, in our
living rooms, and they even lay down with us at night. You have to replace
those dark thoughts with light thoughts. You have to watch what you read, view on
television, and even the music you listen to because the enemy can draw us in
by our thoughts and ideas. Information is information, but we have to discern
what information we will allow to penetrate our hearts, minds and souls. Swing
that thing. Because we are Gods children, we will be tested the more. So
take action and swing that thing like the batter at the ready. Out of the park,
home run. WINNER! Are you ready to win strong? Swing that thing and lay aside the weight.Be Blessed

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Lynette Shelton, Writer

Thank you for stopping by
The Unique View. I am Lynette Shelton and this is where I share my thoughts, ideas and suggestions on life and how God must be active in our lives in order to grow. I pray that the words given to me richly bless you. My desire for this blog is to touch an area of your life that will activate change and motivate you to rise up and step into your greatness.
Remember, nothing will change in your life unless you take action. Live your life on and with purpose.